Summer Reading



With a change of season, book reading seems to come into play. Here, I offer some books worthy of notice. Some I've read, others are in the reading pile...



Tolkien's Works
 
 
 
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Silmarillion
The Children of Hurin
 
 
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
 
 
 
Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone
Chamber of Secrets
Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire
Half-Blood Prince
Deathly Hallows (finale)
 
Preferred format / edition:
I myself really like the black UK hardback editions.
 
There's nothing to say other than this series is magic. Even when things get the darkest, you'll constantly be engaged. 
 
 
His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
 
 
 
Golden Compass (or Northern Lights)
Subtle Knife
Amber Spyglass (finale)
 
Incredible series of books that are very cross-genre. Aimed at the 'Harry Potter crowd', all three books in the trilogy link together well and offer an entertaining thought-provoking read. 
 
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin


 
A Game of Thrones (ISBN-10: 0007428545  ISBN-13: 978-0007428540)
A Clash of Kings (ISBN-10: 0007447833  ISBN-13: 978-0007447831)
A Storm of Swords
- Steel and Snow (ISBN-10: 0007447841  ISBN-13: 978-0007447848)
- Blood and Gold (ISBN-10: 000744785X  ISBN-13: 978-0007447855)
A Feast For Crows (ISBN-10: 0007447868 ISBN-13: 978-0007447862)
A Dance With Dragons
- Dreams and Dust (ISBN-10: 0007466064  ISBN-13: 978-0007466061)
- After the Feast (ISBN-10: 0007466072  ISBN-13: 978-0007466078)
The Winds of Winter (may get two volumes)
A Dream of Spring (may get get two volumes) (finale)
 
My favorite series. It's fantasy, but the fantasy elements are really downplayed, and it's approached as more a historical fiction novel, than a 'typical' fantasy. 
 
Preferred format / edition:
Harper Voyager trade paperback. They aren't massive and bulky as the hardcovers, nor 'squashed' like mass markets. Practical too. ISBN listed for the nice Harper Voyager editions.
 


Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
 
 
 What if....Charles Dickens wrote fantasy???
 
Stardust by Neil Gaiman 


American Gods by Neil Gaiman
 
 
 Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

 
 
 A landmark in the field of historical fiction.

 
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold


 
 
 
The Dagger and the Coin by Daniel Abraham
 
 
 
The Dragon's Path
The King's Blood
The Tyrant's Law
The Widow's House
Book 5 (finale)
 
Fantasy series with a bit more 'traditional' elements thrown in. Closer in the vein of George R.R. Martin than Tolkien. 
 
Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell
 
The Winter King
Enemy of God
Excalibur [finale]
 
"What if King Arthur existed? And if he actually did, how would it work?" These three fine books explain just that, in the best presentation of historical fiction by a master in the field. This ain't no Sword in the Stone. 
 
Stormlight by Brandon Sanderson
 
 
 
Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
 
The Way of Kings could very well be the best thing Brandon Sanderson has written so far, and that's the first volume in his huge fantasy. He's guessing at this point 10 books, and book 2, Words of Radiance should / could be out in November. It's fantasy, with unique magic system and world; that's as ambitious (though on different levels and in different ways) as George R.R. Martin's. 
 
Preferred format / edition:
ebook. This is going to be a big series.
 
 
 
Bourne (Ludlum only)
 
 
 
Bourne Identity
Bourne Supremacy
Bourne Ultimatum
 
 
Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
 
 
 
Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Written in My Own Heart's Blood
 
 
 
Malazan
 
 
 
Gardens of the Moon
Deadhouse Gates
Memories of Ice
House of Chains
Midnight Tides
The Bonehunters
Reaper's Gale
Toll the Hounds
Dust of Dreams
The Crippled God [finale of the originals]
 
The Kharkanas Trilogy
 
Forge of Darkness
Fall of Light
 
other novels
 
Night of Knives
Return of the Crimson Guard
Stonewielder
Orb, Sceptre, Throne
Blood and Bone
 
Another fantasy series, this one heavier on magic...nad myth. Because there are gods. Greek mythology type gods.
 
Preferred format / edition:
ebook. The paperback (not the mass markets) are quite nice.
 
You can get all these books at your bookstore, through Amazon, for your kindle, kobo, etc... or if you're particular copy of a book, check out http://www.bookdepository.com/
 
Enjoy! What books do you recommend? 
 
 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tolkien Signature Paperback Collection: Master Listing

Image
  Recently, HarperCollins has been re-issuing most of the Tolkien titles in a new paperback style. Since that a vast majority of these share ISBNs with other covers, eventually the older covers will be replaced with the new. I wanted to provide head's up for that. If ordered via Amazon UK, Blackwell's, or Waterstones, you'll very likely have the newer/Signature cover. If possible, it may be best to actually visit  the bookstore so you can see which one they actually have on their shelves.   This post is a Master Post, collecting ISBNs of the titles released in this style. I have made them into 'groups' or 'sets' for ease of reference, as well as possibly assist in purchasing them, if one were to get more than one book at once. Over the course of time, this post will get updated. Once a new title comes to this format, I'll do a separate blog post focusing on that title; and provide it's ISBN, cover art, and description. Enough of these have come out t...
Read more

An Update

Image
So I bet you're wondering how The Saga of Kalvel is coming.  It's going well, but slow. I'm not putting into as much time writing the series as I'd like. It's still being thought of in my head, and I'm only able to get to it part time, but I'm still planning and writing at the same time. This weekend I'm hoping to binge through some.  I'm working on the third chapter for one character, and would like to start the first chapter for another character. I begun as early as Dec. 2011, and my deadline is August of 2016, but so far I have approx about 40 completed manuscript pages that I'm thinking of going back to until the first draft is completely done.  Now. That's manuscript pages.  If I were total everything I'd ever written about Kalvel, it would be closer to around 100 (give or takr about 15 either direction, some things are in various states.) I've said before and again that the most difficult vo...
Read more